Vending machine



March 1, 1932. H. GILES 1,847,940

VENDING MACHINE' Filed Feb. 4, 1930 '8 Sheets-Sheet 1 l lll] ATTORNEY H. GILES March 1, 1932.

VENDING MACHINE 8 Sheets-Shegt 2 Filed Feb. 4, 1930 INVENTOR 649/?1/4-7 4/456 ATTORNEY March 1, 1932. H. GILES 1,847,940

VENDING MACHINE Filed Feb. 4, 1950 s Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR ATTOR N EY March 1, 1932. GlLEs 1,847,940

VENDING MACHINE Filed Feb. 4, 19 30 8 Sheets-Sheet 4 M M5 515 M0 M9 i G A56 U7 2 INVENTOR fizz/ 5) 6 5;

BY E r g j ATTORNEY March 1, 1932. s I 1,847,940

I VENDING MACHINE Filed Feb. 4, 1930 8 Sheets-Sheet 6 INVENTOR Y fizz/1 6245s- ATTORNEY March 1, 1932. H; GILES 1,847,940

VENDING MACHINE Filed Feb. 4, 1930 8 SheetS-Shet '7 V v INVENTOR 695745) 6245.5

I BY v March 1, 1932. H. GILES 1,847,940

VENDING MACHINE Filed Feb. 4, 1930 8 Sheets-Sheet 8 w my HARVEY GILES, or reooxmmg NEW vonx, nssrsivoa r ARTEMAS WARD INC., A

Patented Mar. 1, 1932 UNITED STATES.

PATENT .OFFICE CORPORATION or DELA ARE VENDING MACHINE Application filed February i, 1930. H Serial No. 425,789.

The general object of the invention is to reorganize the construction and mode of operation of vending machines of this character to produce a more effective, durable and positively-operating machine, delivering goods on the insert on of the proper coin and not delivering goods when a slug or fake coin is inserted in the machine. Another object of the invention is to producea coin-controlled operating mechanism adapted for coopera-. tion with a delivery mechanism wh1ch may be usedin connection with various kinds and sizes of hoppers or magazines forholding the articles to be vended. Otherobjects of the invention will appear as the description .p'roceeds, the invention itself being particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

The preferred form of the invention is il1- lustrated in the accompanying drawings in which Fig. plete vending machine; Fig. 2 is avertical section taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 3; Fig. 3 a frontelevation of the machine with. the

door or cover removed; Fig. 4 is asection taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 5, and showing the handleand door-locking lever in rear elevation; Fig. 5 is a vertical sect? on taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 14; Fig. 6 is an enlarged front elevation of the parts shown in the.

lower half of Fig. 3; Fig. 7 is a vertical section taken-on the line 77 of Fig. 5; Fig. 8

' is a view similar to Fig. 6, but showing the movable parts in the positions assumed after theinsertion of a coin andthe manipulation of the handle; Fig. 9 is a view similar to Fig. 7., but showing the movable parts approach- -ingfull article delivery position; Fig. 10 is a section taken on the line 1O10 of Fig. 5; Figs. 11 12 and 13 are isometric perspectives ofthe parts of article delivery mechanism and its actuating mechanism removed from the shaft on which they are mounted in the 1 is a front elevation of the com-.

machine ;Fig. 14 is a horizontal section taken on the line 14'14 of Fig. 5; Fig. 15 is a section taken on the line 1515 of Fig. 6; Fig.

16 is atop plan of the lower or movable section of the coin chute; and Fig. 17 isa section taken on theline 17-17 of Fig. 1, and showing the lower end of the article delivery chute and its guard. J V

. In the embodiment of the invention shown in the drawings, the, hopper for containing the, articles to be vended, the article'delivery means and the coin-controlled actuating means ,(except the. handle) arehoused in a box-like, vertically-arranged casing comprising abottom 20, a top 21, a rear wall 22, a left hand side wall23, a right hand side wall 24, anda removable cover or door closing the open front of the'casing. At its upper end the cover is bent over at 26-to engage the upturned forward edge 27 of'the top 21. The lower, end of the cover is received in a transverse socket formed between the upturned forward end or flange 28 of the bottom 20 and an angle iron 29. A transversely-arranged hood 30 on the cover overhangs the flange 28; The side edges of the cover are bent backwardly and snugly embrace the outer, front edges of the side walls 23 and 24, as shown in Fig. 14. I

. Upon the insertion of a coin of the proper denomination in the coin'slot 32 in the cover, the purchaser turns the handle or knob 33 in the direction indicated by the arrow, and

thereupon a measured quantity of the articles I are discharged through the chute 34 into a spaceenclosed by the hinged guard member 35 and 'n which they are held until the purchaser swing the guard forward, as indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 17.

The handle or knob 33 is provided with a. short shaft portion 36 which is journaled in a boss 37 fixed'on the inner surface of the door.v The handle is held in operative pos'itionin the door by the upper end 38 of a leverpivoted at 39 on the door. The end 38 of the lever entersa groove 40 in the handle shaftq36, the boss 37 being slotted at 42 in alinement with the groove 40. The lower end '43 of the lever'has an offset portion 44which passes under the bent over part of a staple-like lug 45 fixed on the bottom and so prevents the lifting of the door and its removal from the casing. The lever is locked in position preventing the removal of the handle from the door, and the removal of the door from the casing, by the bolt 46 of a lock 47. When the lock is unlocked and the bolt 46 withdrawn, a spring 48 turns the lever, thereby disengaging the upper end 38 thereof from the groove in the handle shaft and the lower end from the staple 45, so as to permit the door to be lifted from the casing upon the removal of the handle from the door. v

The machine of the present invention is especially adapted for the automatic vending of such relatively small-articles as shelled peanuts or small confectionswhich may be contained promiscuously mixed in a'hopper. Such articles are indicated at 50 'inFigs. 2, 5, 7 and 9. The hopper is indicated at 51 and in cross section is of the same shape as the casing. The hopper is located in the upper part of the casing, and'is provided with the lateral ears 52 mounted-on the headed pins 53 secured in the rear wall 22 of the casing. The upper end of the front wall :of the hopper is provided with a hinged flap 54 which may be swung forward to permit the recharging of the hopper without moving the latter. A pivoted'hasp 55 by engaging the top end of the hopper holds the hopper against displacement. I

- The lower end of the copper contracts into a discharge opening 57 rectangular in cross section. Located under the outlet 57 of the hopper is a delivery member, generally indicated at-5'8, looselymounted on a shaft 59 journaled at'its rear end in a cross piece 60 and at its front end in the upright 70 risin'g'from the cross-piece 71. The cross pieces 60 and 71 are supported at their ends from the side walls 61 and 62 of a frame on which are mounted the operating parts of the machine. The rear ends of the walls 61 and 62 are provided with the oifset ears 63 having slots engaging the headed pins 64 fixed in the rear wall 22 of the casing. A pivoted arm 65 controlled by the spring 66 holds the frame in position under the hopper. Two rear spacing rods 67, a lower, front spacing rod 68, and an upper, front crosspiece 69, cooperate with the cross-pieces 60 and 71 to hold the walls "61 and 62 in spaced relation.

The article delivery member :58 is a semicylindrical structure, as clearly shown in Figs. 7 and 12. In one half of its periphery is formed a measuring pocket or cavity 73 which is located under the outlet 57 of the hopper, when the parts are in normal position, as shown in Fig. 7, and thus issupplied with articles and ready to deliver them when a coin is inserted in the machine. The bottom edge'74 of the outlet or opening57 of the hopper is straight and the width of the delivery member is slightly less than the width of the outlet so as to project into it in the manner shown in Figs. 5 and 7 and thereby seal the edges of the outlet suHiciently to prevent leakage of the articles. To deliver the articles in the pocket or cavity 73 from the machine, the delivery member 58 is turned in a clockwise direction, and as the pocket full of articles passes from under the outlet its place is taken by the segmental section 75 of the delivery member, as shown in Fig. 9, thereby closing the outlet of the hopper until the-delivery member is returned to normal position with the pocket in registry with the outlet. As the delivery member is turned to empty the pocket or cavity 73, the open upper end of the pocket passes in close proximity to a curved guard member 77 supported from the wall 62, and the articles are thereby prevented from. spilling out of the pocket until the delivery member is in substantially its full discharge or delivery position; The articles discharged from the pocket 73 pass into the upper end of a transversely arranged chute 78 the lower end of which discharges into the rear, upper end of the chute 34, as shown in Fig. 5.

To assure a free flow of the articles down to and through the outlet 57, the mass of articles just above the outlet is stirred each time the article delivery member is operated. For this purpose there is'provided on the rear side of the lower end of the hopper a vertically reciprocable bar 80 slidingly mounted in the boss 81. A cam 82 carried by a cam piece 95 mounted on the rear end of the shaft 59 is arranged to engage the lower end of the bar 80 and push it upwardly into the mass of articles above it. A the bar downwardly.

'The'turning of the shaft 59 to operate the article delivery member is effected by means of the coin which is inserted in the machine to purchase a single delivery of articles. On the front end of the hub portion of the delivery member 58 is mounted a coin pocket member84 having an axial recess85 which forms one half of a coin holding pocket. An axial recess 86 in the boss 87 of an actuating element 88 fixed on the forward end of the shaft 59 forms the other half of the coin-holding pocket. The recess 86 is normally in alinement with the recess 85 so that when a coin 89 is inserted in the machine it is received in the coin holding pocket and is the means by or through which the element '88 actuates the member "58 to-deliver its charge of articles.

The shaft '59 and the actuating element '88 are turn-ed by the handle 33. The inner end 90'ofthe shaft 36 is flattened to haveadriving engagement 5 with the slot 91 cut in the for ward endof the element 88. The shaft 59 and element 88 are returned to normal position by a contraction spring 93 one end of which is spring 83 pulls fix'fe'd'to'the wall 62 and the other-end of which ried by the lug portion 139 of the element '88:

with a stop pin'99 fixed in the cross-piece 71, and the normal positionof the delivery member 58 is determined by theengagement of the screw 101 carried by the member 8 1. with the rear extension of the pin-99. lVhe'n a coin has been inserted in the machine and the delivery member turned a small amount, a spring controlled pawl 102 by engaging with therack 103 carried by the delivery member prevents the latter from returning to initial position until it has been turned to its full delivery position, at which point the rack passes beyond and is-freed from the pawl so that the pawl may pivot and permit the deliv ery member to return to normal position.

' As the article delivery member'58 is turned with the actuating-element 88 through the medium of the coin, the coin is gradually forced out of the'coin-holding pocket constituted by the recesses .85 and 86 and is fully ejected therefrom as the member 58 reaches its fulldelivery position. The'means for effecting this action comprises anarm 10 k pivoted on an ear 105 turned inwardly from the wall 62. -The inner, adjacent'ends of the recesses 85'and 86 are'spaced apart, as shown in Fig. 5, and the upper, free end of the arm 1041 is so arranged that the cam surface 107 for-med on the upper edge of the arm actso'n the lower edge ofthe coin to force it outof the recesses 85 and86. When the operating parts are in normal position, the pin 97 lifts the arm 104 to the position shown in Fig. 6. As the element 88 is turned'the pin 97is disengaged from the arm 104, and thereupon'the spring 106 pulls the free end ofthe arm down onto the top end of the part7 0 of the cross piece 1, as shown in Fig.'*8. From a consideration'of this figure it will be understood that, as the coin is carried over the cam' surface 107 by turning the element 88,'the coin is gradually forced outwardly from the coin pocket,

* It willbe understood that the coinis'not loose in the pocket, since the-turning of the member 58 by the element 88 is effected by means ofthe'coin. Hence the parts are so arranged that the coincan be availed-of to turn the member 58 until the coin'is actuallyejected from'the recesses 85 and 86. The ejected coin falls into a box 108 on the bottom 20.

' The coin inserted into the machine through the slot 32 is guided down into the coin receiving recesses85 and 86- by 'a'coin chute comprising a stationary section and amovable section. The stationary section of the coin chute is a continuation of the slot 32 and consists of a slanting bottom 109, a side wall 110 supported from'the frame wall 61, a rear wall111,'anda side wall 112 the up mit a-guard to lee-interposed between them to prevent the insertion of a coin through the slot under the conditions to be pointed outpresently. Themovable section of the coin chute is arranged at right angles to the'stationary section and consists of an obliquely positioned bottom. 11 1 2 having upwardly extending side walls 115 pivotally supported at their rear ends from the lower, rear end of the sidewall 110 of the stationary section. The lower end of the bottom 11 1 is curved, as at'116, so as to direct the coin into the" recesses 85 and 86. To cooperate with the curved'end 116 of the bottom 114a) direct the coin'into the recesses a. slide 117 isprovided with a downturned flange 118. The slide 117 is mounted on the lower'side of the plate 119 supported from the-frame wall 62 and is held in position by the rivets 121 which are arranged to slide in the slot 122 out in the plate 119. The slide is yieldingly pressed toward the part 116 by the' spring' 123 so that the coin may push the flange 118 out of its way as the actuating element 88 is turned. As the upper edge of the coin-clears the lower edge of the flange normal position:

"To' prevent slugs of magnetic material from'sliding down the movable section of the' coin chute into the recesses 85 and 86 a magnet 12 1 is attached to the under surface of the upper end of the bottom 114: of the movable section and the ends of the legs of the magnet are curved upwardly into a slot 125 in the bottom 114. When a slug is arrested by the magnet and the movable chute section is swung downwardly and toward the frame wall 61 (as will be presently described) the coin is pushed off the bottom-11 1- byth'e upper end of arm 127 fixed to the :wall: 61 and extending into the slot 125. The slug then falls into a chute 128 located in the lower part of the machine and is' directed thereby into the discharge chute 3 L A slug of paper or other light material is stopped .on the bottom 114 of the movable chute section by the lower end of the down wardly directed finger 129 of a stop device 130' pivoted on a cross-piece 131 supported from wardly the lower end'of the finger '129 is Its forward'end is spaced moved out of contact with the slug, as shown in Fig. 8, and. the slug drops in-to the chute 128.

The movable section of the coin chute is swung .downwardly to drop slugs into the chute 128 and is returned to normal position again by means of an arm 134 pivoted on the cross-piece 71. The upper end of-the arm is provided with a cam slot 135 which receivesa pin 136 extending forwardly from the front wall 115 of the movable chut section. The arm 134 is positively oscillated in one direction by a pin 138 fixed in the lug 139 projecting from the actuating element 88 and is yieldingly oscillated in the oppositediree tion by a spring 140. As the arm 134 is swung to the left, facing the front of the machine, the movable coin chute section swung downwardly, and when the arm 134 is swung to the right the movable coin chute section is returned tonormal position.

When only a predetermined amount of .arti-cles remain in the hopper the coin slotlis closed by a plate guard 142 carried by an arm 141 of an inverted T 143 pivotally mounted on'the cross-piece 69.. The mechanism by which the guard 142 is swung upwardly to close the coin slot is controlled by the weight of the articles in the hopper and comprises a flap or shelf 144 hinged at 145011 the front wall of the hopper. The flap or shelf is slightly concave and is obliquely arranged with its free 'end resting on the top edge of a vertically reciprocable plate .146 mounted against the vertical front face of the contracted lower end of the hopper. The'upper end of the plate 146 projects through :a slot in the inturned lower wall 147 of theh'opper. As thus arranged, the weightof the articles on the flap acts to move the plate 146 downwardly and free the flange l48'on the lower end of the plate from a pin 1'49 extending rearwardly from the arm 141. The plate 146 is pulled upwardly against the Weight of w; the articles on theflap 144 by two springs 150 attached at their lower ends itothe lugs 151 at the lower corners of the plate and attached at their upper ends to the ,pins 152 fixed in the sides of the hopper. As the mass of articles in the hopper becomes exhausted to an extent permitting the springs150 to lift the plate 146, the plate gradually rises, being arrested in higher and higher vertical positions asthe diminishing weight of the articles above'the flap 144 balances the springs 150. As the plate 146 rises the flange 148 encounters the pin 149 and grad tally moves the guard 142 upwardly, to close the coin slot. It will be understood that the action is progressive. To enable the purchaser to operate the machine even though the guard is beginning toclose the coin slot, the guard is provided with the slanting cut 154 whichserves as a cam surface enabling the coin to tilt the member 143 and enter the slot. Finally however the springs'l50 overbalance the weight of the arlticleson the flap 144 and then the guard .142 fully closes the coin slot, preventing the insertion of a.

coin and the operation of the machine until the hopper is again recharged with articles.

The lowermost position of the plate 146 .is determined by the stops 156 against which the lower edge of the plate 146 rests when the weight of the articles on the flap 144 is greater-than the tension of the springs 156. When the delivery of articles from the hopper lightens the weight on the flap to less than the tension of the springs 150 the plate 146 is drawn upwardly until the pins 157 :on the plate move against the lower edge of the part 14.? of the hopper. By referring toFig. 2 it will be seen that the flap 144 is located above the slanting "bottom wall 147 of the hopper and that the space between them is free of articles. This is because the flap is as long .as the interior of the hopper is wide and because the upper end of the plate 146 is also as wide as the interior width of the hopper. The inner, free end of the .flap projects beyond the upper end of the plate 146. As a result of this arrangement the space between the flap 144. and the part 147 is kept empty to permit the flap to function. A

downturned guard 158 overhangs the hinge Us 145 of the fia p and prevents articles from reaching it.

The coin slot isclosed by theguard 142each time the machine is operated to deliver articles. For this purpose the upper end of the arm 134 is bent forwardly asna lug 160 to engage with a strip 161 secured to the rear of the guard member 142. WVhen the arm 1:34 is swung to the left by the pin 138 the lug 160 engages the strip 161 and tilts the member 143 so to lift the guard and place it across the coin slot. When the lug 160 is swung clear of-the strip 161 theguard 142 falls by gravity to normal position.

In case it should be necessary to remove the hopper from the casing, the discharge end of the hopper is closed by a slide 162 supported from the hopper by the bracket 163. In order that the machine may not be presented as operable while the slide 162 closes the discharge end of the hopper, mechanism is provided .to place the guard 142 .across the coin slot so long as the slide 162 is in inward position closing the outlet of the hopper.

Thismechanism comprises a pivoted arm 164 :1

having .an upturned end 165 "which is held down by the slide 162 when it is pulled out to permit the discharge of articles through the outletfiT. l/Vhen however the slide is pushed in to closerthe outlet 57 it moves clear :of the upturned :en-d ofthe arm 164 and thereupon a spring 166 attached to the other end 167 of the arm 1 64 t-urnsthe arm, drawing the end 16'. down and with it the arm 168 of the member 143, thereby swinging the member its and placing the guard across the coin slot. It is a custom among the service men attending machines of this character to try the machine with a coin when they have set 1t up or recharged it with articles to be sure that the machine is in working order. So if the machine of the present invention were otherwise in proper condition and the coin slot were found closed that would indicate that the slide had inadvertently been left in the outlet 57.

Having thus described the invention what I claim as new is 1. In a vending machine of the character described, a shaft, an article delivery member loosely mounted on the shaft, said memher having a recess, means for supplying the member with articles to be delivered, an actuating element having a recess normally in alinement with the recess in the member, said recesses constituting a pocket adapted to hold a coin by means of which the element actuates the member to deliver the articles when the shaft is turned, means for turning the shaft, means for ejecting the coin from the recesses when the member has been turned to delivery position, means for returning the shaft to normal position, and means carried by the element for returning the member to normal position. j V

2. In a vending machine of the character described having a hopper for containing a supply of promiscuously mixed relatively small articles, said hopper having an open lower end, a shaft located under the hopper, an article delivery member loosely mounted on the shaft and being provided with a measuring cavity normally registering with the open end of the hopper, said member having a recess, an actuating element fixed on the shaft and having a recess normally in alinement with the recess in the member, said recesses being spaced apart at their adjacent ends and constituting a pocket adapted to hold a coin by means of which the'element actuates the member when the shaft is turned, a handle for turning the shaft, an arm located in the space between the adjacent ends of the recesses, said arm having a cam surface on which the lower edge of the coin rides as the element and the member are turned and by which the coin is forced out of the pocket as the element and the member reach the delivery position of the member, a spring for returning the shaft and the element to normal position, and a pin carried by the element for returning the member tonormal position. i

3. In a vending machine of the character described having a coin slot and a hopper for containing a supply of promiscuously mixed relatively small articles, said hopper having a discharge opening in its lowerend, means for receiving articles from the hopper and discharging them from the machine,

said means including a guard for closing the coin slot when only a predetermined amount of articles are left in the hopper, said guard having a pin, a vertically movable plate for engaging the pin to lift the guard in front of the coin slot, the upper end of the plate extending into the lower end of the hopper, a transversely arranged shelf in the hopper to receive the weight of the superincumbent articles to press the plate downwardly to free the plate from the pin, and springs for moving the plate and shelf upwardly against the Weight of the articles on the shelf.

4. In a vending machine of the character described having a coin slot and a hopper for containing a supply of promiscuously mixed relatively small articles, said hopper having an outlet at its lower end, means for receiving articles from the hopper and discharging them from the machine, said means including a pivotally mounted guard for closing the coin slot gravity-operated to a position be- 1 low the coin slot, said guard having a pin, a verticallymovable plate extending at its up per end into the lower part of the hopper, said plate having a part arranged to engage and lift the pin to place the guard in front of the coin slot, springs for lifting the plate, and a pivoted shelf or flap within the hopper the free end ofwhich bears downwardly on the upper end of the plate, said shelf being arranged to receive the weight of the superincumbent articles to depress the plate to free it from the pin to permit the guard to fall from in front of the coin slot.

5. Ina vending machine of the character described having a hopper for containing a supply of promiscuously mixed relatively small articles, means for delivering articles from the machine, including a coin slot, a movable guard for closing the coin slot when the weight of the articles in the hopper has been reduced to a predetermined amount, and means controlled by the weight of the articles in the hopper for placing the guard in front of the coin slot when the weight of the articles inthe hopper has been reduced to the predetermined amount, said guard having a cam surface permitting a coin to push aside the guard as the weight of the articles in the hopper approaches the prede- -HARVEY GILES. 

